Editor’s note: Make It Missoula is collaborating with the Missoula Job Service to help people find local jobs so that they can move home to Missoula or continue to call Missoula home.
We regularly post both job listings and job hunting and interview advice. Be sure to watch the Make It Missoula Facebook page for new job listing announcements.
By CHERY SABOL
Summer vacation is a misnomer for high-school students who put away text books and calculators, only to pick up a serving tray or wrench once school is out. The good news for Missoula students is that jobs are available.
Last month, continuing its steady decline since peaking in September 2010, the unemployment rate in Missoula County was down to 5.2 percent – better than the national rate at 7.5 percent and better than Montana statewide at 5.5 percent.
As of May 31, there were 531 job openings in Missoula County listed with the Missoula Job Service. Many of them are ideal for students who plan to work through the summer, either full-time or part-time, because some employers count on students to shoulder the busy season that continues from now until fall.
Students will find that the basic requirements of their first jobs are similar to the requirements they will encounter all their working lives – namely, show up on time and ready to work, dress and behave appropriately, separate work hours from private interests, and get along with co-workers and customers.
Landing those first jobs isn’t all that different, either. Many begin with applications and interviews, however informal. Some require resumes, even if the applicant has never been paid for an hour’s work outside the home.
The Missoula Job Service is a good resource for teens. Students may register for services, for free, right from their laptops at home by visiting employmissoula.com. Once registered, students can browse through the 500 job vacancies posted online. The Job Service also invites young job seekers to come to the office at 539 South Third Street West to use computers, faxes, scanners, and copiers for preparing applications, searching for jobs online, or consulting with staff members.
The staff is happy to schedule a practice interview to help teens learn how to present themselves as great job candidates. And sharp-eyed resume reviewers on staff will help students create an impressive resume – whether it’s a first attempt for a teen with no work history or an existing resume that needs to be updated or refined.
For more information on services, please call Missoula Job Service at 728-7060 or visit on-line at employmissoula.com
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Looking for a job in Missoula? Be sure to check out our Missoula Job Listings. Be sure you “LIKE” the Missoula Job Service Facebook Page for daily post on job opening. You’ll also find Missoula-area information on Job Hunting Resources, Job Hunting Tips, Job Interview Tips, tips for writing Cover Letters and Resumes.